I got into the Midori Traveler’s Notebook world when it was mentioned in the Hobonichi Users FB group. I was intrigued by the many praises people have given on it being customizable, ringless and very good leather quality. I went to Kinokuniya in end April but did not find any. Then I saw someone in Singapore posting a MTN buy from NBC. So one fine Saturday morning, I went to the Raffles City branch and found a wide selection of MTN products. I got to touch and feel the Notebook before deciding to buy one. I went around the shop first ogled at all the Filofaxes they have inside a glass display. Then I checked out the small MT washi tape collection they have on display. And then I went back to the front of the shop where they have the MTN’s and grabbed the brown regular size,a few inserts, the kraft file and the 4-pc connecting bands.

As my purchase was over S$100, I got a free lifetime NBC membership which entitles me to a 10% discount. And a 20% discount during my birthday week! Couldn’t wait to go home and open up my purchases, so I opened it while waiting for my family at the mall. The leather does smell so good! But it was a bit strong. It was in perfect condition but after bringing it for a few days inside my bag without a protective cover, it had a lot of indentations from the keys and pens roaming around in my bag! Was a bit sad for awhile because of the ugly scars on the front and back side. But after a while I gradually accepted that it was still beautiful. So I brought it along with me when I was reading the Marie Kondo book. Currently, I have not been using it as I have finished reading the book. I have asked my 11 yo daughter to use it and she filled the other insert with quotes which I will share in another post soon.

This is my work planner using the A5 Red Metropol. The dividers are from Kikki.K and they are very sturdy and thick. I added the pink post-its to write the divider categories.

The Red planner houses everything related to my job although I have another notebook for all the calculations and quick writings I need to do. This is where I keep all my passwords, PCB design notes and all the things I need to track per project. I take down a lot of notes since I think it helps me to retain information better. For weekly schedule, I used to track meetings and to do’s in the Filofax vertical W02P but I got too busy that I just keep track of to do’s in my project pages. Having a simple and clean planner has helped me to concentrate on work matters and still get to be organized. Although I still lose some important info once in a while I can now easily find my passwords and important project details when I am asked on the spot!

I really love the Hobonichi Cousin but I also love Filofax! So it was with great effort that I decided to do a minor 5-hour surgery on the Cousin so that it will go into my Filofax. First I carefully removed the front and back covers. This is a photo of the spine. Then I slowly took apart the signatures. It was a slow process so as not to tear any of the pages. But I persevered and watched a lot of Sherlock episodes. Then it was done. I then cut the signatures to separate all the papers. Then punched them all. I placed the pages I was not using inside the Kikki.K Lilac planner. The current month’s pages plus the monthly and weekly pages, I inserted into my A5 Malden. I feel that things are slowly getting simplified and I am slowly becoming more productive again. I will be showing more photos of my One Planner for Everything setup very soon.

I have been going to and fro in what planner to use. For a week I will use the Hobonichi Weeks and then I will swing back to the Hobonichi Cousin and then I would miss to do’s and schedules. Then I tried to use my A5 Finsbury but it’s too heavy to carry everyday. I had so many things I want to track and list but I did not have a good system. Then I took the plunged and almost 2 weeks ago, I purchased the DIYfish v2.2 do1p A5 3-month trial version. Printing was a bit challenging but I did it! Of course, I had to search for YouTube videos to help me. Then it’s time to trim, fold, punch and organize the pages. Following the instructions from the DIYfish website, I have succeeded! Will be sharing how I use the DIYfish inserts together with my Hobonichi Cousin which I have punched and placed in my Filofax. Stay tuned!

Early last week, we received the April Candy Japan box and well it truly made our day. It was a total surprise and a joy to open the mailbox with an unexpected package!Of course, I had to open it right away when I reached the office. But we only got to try the yummy goodies with Liana when I went home. There are 3 items inside the box: Strawberry Taiyaki, Ramen Bites and Kinoko no Yama (Mushroom Mountain). We first tried the Strawberry Taiyaki. Unfortunately it was broken when we opened the packet. But it still tasted good with the strawberry filling and the fish-shaped wafer. Next is the Mushroom Mountain which is the most fun to make. We enjoyed making these, although the biscuits kept on dropping to the sides before the chocolates could harden inside the fridge. Here is the video on how to do this.

While waiting for this to harden in the fridge, we started eating the Ramen Bites. It tasted like the Mamee snacks available here in Singapore only this is more cute!

And then it was time to try the Mushroom Mountains we’ve made! As you can see in the photo below, some of the biscuit sticks fell on the sides but they still looked so pretty!These were so yummy! We finished it off in a few seconds, literally.

Thank you Candy Japan for this box of very delicious goodies. We thoroughly enjoyed every one of these snacks! If you guys want to subscribe or try out one box go to the website and get yours now!

Paper and everything else…

About Us

We are a family of three living here in Singapore. Dad is a photography enthusiast and avid runner. Mom is an engineer by day but a craft lover by heart. Liana is talented 10-yr old who someday dreams to be a successful singer.